Qualcomm has signed a patent cross-license agreement with Huawei, its second major licensing deal in a matter of weeks, covering technologies spanning 5G, computing, artificial intelligence and networks.

The pact gives Qualcomm access to a portion of Huawei's patent portfolio registered in the United States. The two companies described the arrangement as a broader cross-license covering each other's intellectual property across those technology areas.

What does the agreement cover?

Under the deal, Huawei licenses technologies related to computing, artificial intelligence, networks and other fields. Those three areas, together with 5G technology, form part of the overall patent cross-license agreement.

Executives at both companies said they had assessed each other's product portfolios and signaled willingness to work together on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms — the standard licensing framework governing patents essential to industry standards set by bodies such as ETSI and 3GPP.

Alan Fan, head of intellectual property at Huawei, said the agreement reflects the role each company plays in the global technology arena. He noted that Qualcomm's contributions to current communications technologies are essential.

John Han, executive vice president at Qualcomm and head of its technology licensing unit, said the agreement supports the company's work in 5G and a specific process for licensing standard-essential patents.

Han highlighted Huawei's "continuous innovation" and its intellectual property portfolio "in 5G and other technology fields."

Why now?

The Huawei deal arrives only weeks after Qualcomm agreed with Apple to extend their global license agreement, with the renewal scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2027. Together, the two pacts shore up one of Qualcomm's most important revenue streams — technology licensing — at a time when the company continues to monetize its 5G patent position across the handset and broader device ecosystem.

For Huawei, the agreement formalizes access to Qualcomm's essential communications patents while validating the Chinese vendor's own growing licensing business, built on a substantial 5G portfolio that Huawei has increasingly asserted against handset makers and network operators in recent years.

The cross-license structure means neither side discloses royalty rates, and both avoid potential litigation over standard-essential patents in the US market. That matters commercially: Huawei remains subject to US trade restrictions that limit its access to American components and software, yet its US-registered patents retain full legal force — leverage the Shenzhen-based vendor can and does exercise.

What comes next?

Neither company disclosed financial terms or the duration of the agreement. The deal nonetheless signals that, despite continued geopolitical friction between Washington and Beijing over telecommunications equipment, the two rivals intend to settle intellectual property questions commercially rather than in court. Qualcomm's Apple renewal, effective from April 1, 2027, suggests the licensing juggernaut intends to keep locking in long-term agreements with its largest counterparties well ahead of expiry.